Port City Narratives: Cosmopolitan History of İzmir

This project focuses on the port city of İzmir’s cosmopolitan history and its relevance to present-day. The port city of İzmir, like other Eastern Mediterranean port cities, was home to different cultures between the 15th and 20th centuries [1]. For trade, cosmopolitanism secured social and economic networks and shared cultural settings. İzmir’s geographical location played a considerable role in the increasing attraction of trade and economic wealth. Located on the central Aegean Coastline of Anatolia, İzmir represents an extraordinary example of port city development associated with the global overseas trade during the Ottoman Era(1425-1918). This development was strongly influenced by social and spatial practices, and interactions originated by port actions and enriched through intermingling with local features and practices. Until the 20th century, port activities and a web of trade built and developed port cities at various scales from the waterfront to its outskirts. From the establishments of the large infrastructures (e.g., port, quay, railways) to the emergence of spaces in single buildings(e.g., hotel lobbies, social clubs, tea houses), have built and expanded the port cities under the established networks of knowledge, experts. Moreover, the relationships between social groups and individuals who took diverse roles in trade manifested in architecture and urban spaces.